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NEW YORK — Bloomingdale's is introducing a store-within-a-store concept, First Edit, which has the sensibility of a trendy multibrand specialty shop.
First Edit features labels common to specialty retailers but not department stores. Michael Angel, who designs hand-painted silk dresses and blouses, which he ships out of his garage, and 120% Lino, are examples of First Edit's "very special and unique" resources, said Jeff Binder, vice president and divisional merchandise manager of Bloomingdale's View department and designer sportswear.
Other brands include Scharke, TeenFlo, Shin Choi, Cortina, Hollywould, Philippe Adec, Biya, Alara and Harari.
The in-store shops are launching at Bloomingdale's Manhattan flagship and units in Garden City, N.Y.; North Michigan Avenue in Chicago; Boca Raton and Orlando, Fla., and Newport Beach and Costa Mesa, Calif.
First Edit shops encompass about 250 square feet, with the exception of the unit at the Manhattan flagship, which is twice that size.
The aesthetic is sophisticated and modern, but the formula is hard to pinpoint. "There's not one thing that the brands have in common, other than the fact that something caught the buyer's eye," Binder said. "The buyer selects the best of each of the brands and merchandises it from a Bloomingdale's point of view."
The retailer has had success with its two store-within-a-store concepts, Quotations and Portfolio, using them to set itself apart.
"We see this whole concept [First Edit] becoming much more important in the future, doing more volume and expanding to more doors," Binder said. "It's a great differentiator for us. In this climate, we need to be more special. You will see more in-store shops. This is in its infancy."
First Edit will be more productive in terms of sales than other parts of the store, Binder said, adding, "We're testing new ground with this concept."
Geared to women 35 years old and up, the First Edit customer could be fans of such disparate designers as Eileen Fisher, Missoni and Ralph Lauren Black Label. While Quotations and Portfolio offer casualwear, First Edit focuses on career wear. "You could also find a top for going out on a Saturday night," Binder said.Bloomingdale's is launching First Edit shops with three fashion trend stories: colors of the season, featuring yellow and orange sorbet shades; neutral safari with tans and browns, and black and white. Prices are typical bridge points to aspiring designer prices, Binder said, noting that jackets are $400, pants, $200 to $300 and T-shirts, $50. There are a few items priced over $1,000.
Bloomingdale's is not doing much to promote First Edit now. But Binder said ads will run later this season. "We're getting our feet wet in this business," he explained.
@tradesy is turning the concept of a showroom upside down with its new space in Santa Monica. Here, the company plans to hold events, art exhibits and a showcase rare fashion pieces like this Louis Vuitton boxing set. Get all the details on Tradesy’s first showroom on WWD.com. #wwdnews
Spotted last night at the @erdem x @hm launch event: Kate Bosworth, Rashida Jones, Kirsten Dunst and Selma Blair. The party, which took place in LA, also marked the opening of their pop-up shop. “I was interested in creating a collection that wasn’t in any way disposable. It was about pieces you’d create and keep forever, things that have a permanence to it,” designer Erdem Moralioglu said. #wwdeye (📷: Katie Jones)
Renee Zellweger in yellow in 2001 and again in 2017. Chosen as one of the 12 @pantone Leading Spring Colors (and dubbed “Meadowlark”), it only makes sense that the bright hue stands the test of time and is making a resurgence this season, seen already on stars like @blakelively and @gigihadid. (📷: Donato Sardello & @rexfeatures) #wwdfashion #tbt
Dior’s 70th anniversary celebration continues with a new exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. “Christian Dior,” which is scheduled to run through March 18, takes a look at the founders tenure from 1947 to 1057 and feature 40 designs. Pictured here is an evening gown from the Ailée, fall 1948-49 haute couture collection. #wwdfashion (📷: Brian Boyle)
As one of the most recognizable models in the world, Christy Turlington Burns has an insider’s view of the fashion industry and the allegations of sexual harassment swirling around it. “I can say that harassment and mistreatment have always been widely known and tolerated in the industry. The industry is surrounded by predators who thrive on the constant rejection and loneliness so many of us have experiences at some point in our careers,” Turlington told WWD, along with her suggestions for how the modeling world should protect younger women and men. Read more on WWD.com. Link in bio. (📷: Tony Palmieri) #wwdnews
@asics America has tapped a new brand ambassador: famed DJ/record producer @steveaoki. This initiative is intended to set the tone for the new brand identity and philosophy and will include partnerships with influencers and in-store and off-line activations that will continue into next year. This is Asics’ most significant marketing effort in two decades, and is expected to attract younger consumers to the brand. #wwdfashion
24-year-old Jean Prounis is redefining the rules of jewelry. Formerly a studio assistant to Jemima Kirke and a design apprentice at Ghuran, she focuses on handcrafted subtleties and ancient goldsmithing techniques. “There was a really sterile feel in the environment and I wanted to have jewelry with character that shapes how you wear it everyday,” Prounis said. Each piece is hand made in New York, either by Prounis or three other jewelers in the district. #wwdfashion
“These collections continue to build on that vision, empowering differently abled adults to express themselves through fashion,” said @tommyhilfiger of his line of adaptive apparel, which launches today. The line consists of 37 men’s and 34 women’s styles based upon the pieces from the spring Tommy Hilfiger sportswear collection. #wwdnews


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Call it the elephant in the room: Traditional approaches to emerging markets, broad in scope both in terms of regions targeted and types of companies captured, have not worked for years. They offer flawed, overconcentrated exposures to old-economy sectors, state-owned enterprises, mismanaged corporations too often run like dysfunctional family businesses, and legacy industries that may have once offered some potential, but have long since passed their “sell by” date. While some fund managers have made improvements, such as eliminating state-owned enterprises from their portfolios, there is much more to building a future-proofed emerging-markets portfolio.
Certainly, inertia is part of the issue here. Emerging markets were always approached through a bit of a monolithic lens, and any kind of change, especially in investment management, can take time to take root. But perhaps even more at the heart of this disconnect is a fundamental misreading of what we’re investing in when we invest in “emerging” markets, and it’s not so much the market, but the people in that market who fuel the opportunity. Specifically, the consumer: The people getting wealthier, climbing up the S-curve, getting access to better education for themselves and their children, eating higher quality food and driving the growth in their local economy. Much of these improvements are supported by the growth of internet and the concurrent rise of ecommerce companies and digital innovation, something a broad-based emerging economy strategy may capture, but at an allocation so small as to have little effect on an overall portfolio’s performance.
The transformative effects of the internet are apparent more than ever before as new middle classes expand and discretionary incomes rise. We call it the “great confluence,” the merging of a growing middle class and a younger population who are leapfrogging traditional models of consumption, such as brick-and-mortar retail stores. McKinsey & Co. has called this digital revolution in emerging markets “the biggest growth opportunity in the history of capitalism.”
POWER OF THE SMARTPHONE
Smartphones have completely changed the way we approach pretty much everything in our lives, something that has only accelerated since the start of the pandemic. And in the frontier and emerging markets, the accessibility and low costs of smartphones and wireless broadband are providing hundreds of millions of people with access to the internet for the first time, and with that access comes access to new investing tools, means of payment, loans and credit, and so many of the building blocks of a strong financial future which had not been available.
This digital revolution of digital payments, communication, healthcare, education, entertainment, grocery delivery and more is being driven by a cohort of ecommerce companies. Major leaders in the space like Alibaba, Tencent and MercadoLibre provide the necessary tools to these markets and have paved a new way for consumers to consume. With smartphones upending the ways people shop, work or even hail a cab, these companies focused on ecommerce and digital innovation are well positioned to take advantage of the growth in consumption in emerging markets.
And smartphones are not yet ubiquitous in these markets. Even China and India, which are at the forefront of this digital revolution, have hundreds of millions more citizens still waiting to be brought online, to say nothing of the growth potential in markets in South America, Emerging Asia and Africa.
NOT JUST A CHINA STORY
Though they may get the bulk of the headlines, Chinese ecommerce companies are just one part of this fast-moving story. We are now seeing the second leg of growth coming from geographies that were slower to adoption, but which will be comparably influential in population and scale. The likes of India, Africa, Southeast Asia and South America will drive the next step of this transformational story as hundreds of millions have yet to obtain a smartphone.
Some of these regions are already witnessing the power of ecommerce and tech, and companies such as Sea Limited, a Singaporean tech company, and Indian super-app Jio, are driving their own significant innovations and acquiring new users to their respective platforms at a furious pace.
Nigerian-based ecommerce company Jumia Technologies is another example that has been a sensation for the frontier African market and its growing middle class. Considered the “Amazon of Africa,” Jumia is the leading ecommerce company in the continent and an online marketplace platform with its payment arm, JumiaPay, which accounts for one-third of the company’s revenues. While Jumia was introduced nine years ago, the African market is far from saturated and has plenty of room for expansion and long-term advancement.
THE UNICORNS ARE EMERGING, TOO
Also taking place outside of China is an intriguing new crop of ecommerce unicorns, poised to enter the public markets. A few we’ve been watching include:
- Paytm, an Indian digital payments leader targeting a $3 billion IPO in what would be the country’s largest IPO debut. Like Alipay and Tencent in China, Patym has helped spearhead mobile wallets and QR codes in India. Over time it has expanded into a series of other financial services to help service the needs of India’s huge landscape of small and medium enterprises. Paytm is expected to join a wave of Indian internet companies that are likely to list in the next 18 months, including the country’s largest ecommerce platform Flipkart.
- In Indonesia, ride hailing giant GoJek and ecommerce company Tokopedia joined forces in the country’s biggest merger ever, an $18 billion deal. Together they’ve built the most valued super-app in Indonesia: GoTo.
- In South America, Brazil boasts the world’s largest digital bank, Nubank, with 40 million members, a valuation of $30 billion, with recent funding at $1.2 billion, from investors including Berkshire Hathaway. Nubank has carved out a successful and thoughtful product lineup and offers banking to both affluent and underserved citizens.
Today, nearly 90 percent of the world’s population under the age of 30 lives in emerging and developing economies. By 2030, the global middle class is expected to swell to 5.5 billion people, with consumption in emerging markets accounting for $30 trillion — nearly half of the global total. Investors should take notice. But the traditional ways of adding emerging markets exposure also need to change and adapt. The strongest growth stories in emergy markets won’t be state-owned, nor will investors be adequately exposed via an emerging markets fund that allocates significant assets to legacy names in manufacturing, materials and other sectors.
The biggest growth opportunity in the history of capitalism deserves to be more than just a sliver of a larger emerging markets’ portfolio.
Kevin Carter is founder and CIO of EMQQ.

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Copernus, a supplier of chilled fish to retailer Lidl UK and the owner of the Hooked On Fish brand, appointed Manideep Sandupatla as its new corporate social responsibility (CSR) and technical director at its rapidly expanding headquarters in Hull, England.
Sandupatla joins Copernus from Samworth Brothers, whose consumer brands include the Cornish pasty maker Ginsters, malt loaf Soreen, the West Cornwall Pasty Co., and sports nutrition brand SCI-MX.
Previously he has held senior technical roles at major seafood companies, including Young’s Seafood, Associated Seafood, Cumbrian Seafood and Dawnfresh Seafood.
With a masters degree in food biotechnology and microbiology, Sandupatla brings 16 years of industry experience to Copernus’ senior leadership team.
Sandupatla is an expert in leading technical functions across food and beverage manufacturing and will further strengthen business operations, the company said.
The creation of this new role follows a sustained period of significant growth at Copernus.
Increased volume and the construction of an extension at the east coast site will be managed by Sandupatla to meet the businesses’ growth and strategic objectives.
“Manideep has a deep understanding of the specific technical and operational needs of seafood,” said Dean Simpson, managing director at Copernus.
“His role and expertise will be crucial in supporting with the further development of our business operations, as well as the execution of our long-term growth strategy.”


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Short-term investors haven't been thrilled about the move, as it reduced profitability and will take time to before sales from Flipkart start to show up on the income statement en masse. India's While stocks and equities are thought of as long-term investments, stock trading can still offer opportunities for day traders with the right strategy. The ability to short prices, or trade on company news and events, mean short-term trades can still be profitable. The stock market correction has made many stocks look attractive compared to their prices at the beginning of 2020. But which ones are capable of driving sho Skip navigation In short, TEVA is a classic contrarian, “buy when there’s blood in the streets” type of play. And there are reasons TEVA is one of these great (if risky) stocks to buy.
While the short-term impact of the global COVID-19 outbreak will be messy – wild Take a look at some of the young companies Vision Fund has invested in.
23 Aug 2019 Editor's note: "The 7 Best Long-Term Stocks to Buy for 2019 and Beyond" was previously published in July 2019. It has since been updated to 10 Stocks for Big Short-Term Gains. Investors eager to rack up quick profits may want to consider recommendations from Morgan Stanley (MS) and its Fresh Money Buy List. The financial services firm was founded in 1935 and has more than 55,000 employees in more than 40 different countries. Buying a stock is easy, but buying the right stock without a time-tested strategy is incredibly hard. Here are the best stocks to buy or watch now. Leaving behind a shaky 2018, when its stock had fallen 50 percent by the end of June, the company is expected to rebound in early 2019. Once the world’s No. 2 seller of lightbulbs, Osram is now focused on specialty lighting for autos, entertainment, and the health-care sector. These businesses are promising, Right now, the stock is testing a short-term resistance at $1.20. ZLCS appears to be under accumulation again.
12 Feb 2020 Stocks To Watch Daily. What if you didn't have to hunt around the internet looking for trade ideas every day? What if top researchers, analysts,
3 Feb 2020 Microsoft, Intel and Amazon recorded fresh all-time highs after crushing tech companies look primed for a major correction in the short term. 30 Jan 2020 Beginners to investing must look at safe haven stocks. Short term capital gains tax on shares would continue to stay at levels of 15 per cent. 8 Jan 2020 after a City firm named them among 35 growth stocks to watch in 2020. Analyst John Stevenson thinks short-term forecasts are “eminently 23 Aug 2019 Editor's note: "The 7 Best Long-Term Stocks to Buy for 2019 and Beyond" was previously published in July 2019. It has since been updated to


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Clock to start ticking for 5G iPhone
Tuesday’s iPhone unveils here in the Golden State will be unlike any other – from a certain point of view. Sure, new smartphones will be launched, but we could relate to this in the context of the classic half-glass-full-or-empty conundrum.
Three new iPhones – successors to the top-end XS and XS Max, and budget-friendlier XR – are expected. The half-full part is that Apple is apparently ready to include some key upgrades to these.
The two flagships – said to be coming with a ‘Pro’ tag, among many other guesses – are reported to come with powerful cameras driven by artificial intelligence, reverse wireless capabilities and tougher shells. The XR successor would now have a dual-lens camera and the same A13 chip that is expected to be utilised by the top-ends.
Apple does not comment on speculation or rumours.
The half-empty part, meanwhile, is that no 5G device will be introduced – at least in this round. It would’ve been logical to have at least one this year with the rest of the field throwing their respective hats into the next-gen game, but we all know that there have been roadblocks along Apple’s way.
But Apple was able to do something about it: On July 25, it announced that it was acquiring the majority of Intel’s smartphone modem unit. In other words, the $1 billion transactions will give Apple the capability to make its own 5G modems for its iPhones.
The company, however, cannot afford to delay it further. Practically everyone in the realm has already released, will soon be releasing or at the very least are planning to release a 5G mobile in one form or another. It will come as a complete shock if Apple pushes back its 5G handset even further into 2021, as some whispers claim.
This year has been mostly described as a “gap year” for the smartphone industry, thanks in large part to the advent and actual rollout of 5G. Top guns Samsung and Huawei, along with practically everyone else, are now indeed offering their respective 5G devices, even if coverage isn’t widespread or spotty in regions that have them. Being the first or among the first doesn’t hurt, after all.
If Apple was indeed planning on a 2019 launch of a 5G iPhone, this delay could possibly be a blessing in disguise: They can use this gap year to carefully study the 5G field in preparation for what is pegged to be a big launch 12 months from now. Apple, after all, doesn’t always come up with firsts in devices.
Which leads to an important question: Will Apple users – diehards included – put off their iPhone upgrades this year and wait for the expected 5G iteration in 2020?
Recent history and logic dictate that the 2019 devices are the end of another iPhone cycle. Incremental – or token, as others would call it – upgrades were given to iPhones in the lead-up to major revamps, most notably 2014’s iPhone 6 and the 10th-anniversary iPhone X in 2017. But it is important to remember that between those interlocking releases, Apple did introduce critical upgrades such as dual-lens cameras and wireless charging, in addition to increasingly-powerful chipsets.
We can’t blame the industry and observers for having low expectations for this year’s iPhone event. But, love ’em or hate ’em, Apple will still sell – especially considering the fact that the company has really stepped up its game in its services and accessories units, which have picked up the slack for lower iPhone sales in recent memory.
The situation, however, could still play into Apple’s hands. In as much as iPhone sales may go down – but the decline won’t be enough to knock it off its perch as a company always threatening to breach the $1 trillion mark at any time.
So, we can consider Tuesday’s event as something that will the stage for the iPhone 5G, or whatever it would be called. Unless, of course, Apple pulls off an absolute, no-one-saw-it-coming stunner in its vaunted ‘One more thing.’ the segment at the keynote.


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Chicks, ducks attract interest as city critters
Baby chicks and ducks are signaling the arrival of spring as they go on sale at area retailers.
This year, there’s more interest, however, according to Jeff Bickel, store manager at Campbell Supply at 49th Street and Western Avenue in Sioux Falls.
He credits the City Council’s ongoing deliberation over urban agriculture issues, which resulted in a new ordinance allowing up to six pets in a household, including chickens.
Raising ducks or more than six chickens requires a homeowner to gather approval from neighbors within 100 feet of the property line.
To learn more about buying chicks and ducks, watch a video at www.SiouxFallsBusinessJournal.com.


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“JINCO is a leading smart card integration pioneer and we are very proud that they have chosen to integrate our fingerprint sensor into their dual-interface biometric cards.” -Stan Swearingen, CEO, IDEX
IDEX has announced successful integrations of its fingerprint sensor technology by its partner JINCO Universal.
Based in Taiwan, JINCO offers sophisticated smart card solutions including products featuring one-time password displays, Bluetooth connectivity, and RFID support. The company was founded in 2005, but it was 2017 that became the company’s ‘breakthrough year’, when it became a supplier for the Taxi service in Istanbul, Woori Bank in Korea, and the United Nations. All of those clients selected JINCO Universal for its fingerprint-scanning card solutions, putting them to use in ID and payment card applications.
IDEX first launched its dual-interface biometric card fingerprint sensor in June of 2017. Thanks to its polymer construction and power management system, IDEX’s sensor allows for bendable cards that can work with standard NFC terminals and don’t require batteries.
In a statement announcing the successful partnership, JINCO Universal Chairman Ted Lin said his firm “selected IDEX for its high performance, reference design and superior support which ensured that the development of our cards, with and without batteries, was achieved in record time”.
For its part, IDEX asserted in its statement that it “is working with several other major card vendors who are also combining IDEX’s fingerprint sensors and biometric modules into their smart cards,” suggesting that the company is well-positioned as the biometric cards market’s boom gears up.
(originally posted on FindBiometrics)


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OnePlus phones are known for their tough build quality, and the 9 and 9 Pro have much to offer. One of the biggest is its waterproofing.
This means the phone can withstand being submerged in water for 30 minutes or more without damage. Despite this, you should always take precautions when using the phone in or near water bodies.
One of the essential features that a premium smartphone should have is water resistance. It’s not always a feature that’s on the minds of consumers, but it’s necessary for keeping your device safe and dry in case something happens to it.
For that reason, most premium smartphones will be waterproof, even if they don’t have an official IP rating. While the IP ratings aren’t 100% accurate, they reflect how well a smartphone can resist water and dust without compromising other features.
However, this isn’t the case with OnePlus, which has traditionally shied away from including IP ratings on its phones due to the cost involved. Fortunately, it appears that the company has finally changed its mind.
OnePlus CEO Pete Lau revealed in a Weibo post that the company does have an IP rating for its phones. But he added that OnePlus is unlikely to include this in its future models because it would cost too much money and time, so it doesn’t bother with it for cheaper devices like the OnePlus 7 and 8.
The OnePlus 9 Waterproof is the latest in a long line of premium smartphones that cram in features to meet the demands of smartphone buyers. The company’s recent shift to the top of the price range has also increased expectations for the brand and its customers.
The new Oneplus 9 is a significant improvement over the company’s previous flagship, which was essentially an updated version of the last year’s model with a few tweaks and extras added for good measure. The main change is the OnePlus 9’s display, which offers a 120Hz refresh rate that’s smooth and snappy when scrolling through apps.
However, it should be noted that the unlocked version of the OnePlus 9 does not come with an IP68 water and dust resistance rating. OnePlus may be saving costs by not having the phone certified for waterproofing, which is a cost that it likely passes on to its carriers when it sells the device.
One of the most valuable features of today’s top-end smartphones is their IP rating, a code that refers to their dust and water resistance. Flagship phones like the Apple iPhone X and Samsung Galaxy S9 have this rating, and it’s also a feature that many affordable options include.
In short, the first number tells us that the device is dust resistant and can withstand particles of up to 10 microns (roughly that of a human hair). The second number indicates how well it can withstand liquids, and in this case, the OnePlus 9 Pro earned an eight, which means it can withstand water pressure up to a depth of 1.5 meters for 30 minutes.
That’s not bad for a premium smartphone, especially given how expensive it is to get the phone officially certified. So we’re not surprised that OnePlus doesn’t bother with it on its budget and mid-range models.
OnePlus has long been known for producing eye-catching phones that stand out. From sandstone backs on the OnePlus One and OnePlus 2 to red versions on the OnePlus 6 and now the Oneplus 9 Pro, this company has always been on the cutting edge of smartphone design.
Thankfully, it hasn’t lost its touch when it comes to building solid phones that are also affordable. The OnePlus 9 Pro is an excellent phone that can hold its own against gaming-grade phones that pack huge batteries, high refresh rate screens, and ultrasonic shoulder buttons.
Despite its price tag, the OnePlus 9 Pro has flaws. One is its update policy. Unlike Google and Samsung, OnePlus only offers two major Android OS upgrades and three years of “bimonthly” security updates.


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Is Snapchat lying to its customers? That’s what’s being reported by the New York Times. According to the publication the people behind the service Snapchat have reached a settlement in court with the Federal Trade Commission on Thursday. Snapchat was charged with deceiving users about the way the photos and videos sent through the messaging service would be handled.
Snapchat is an app that you can acquire with any smart phone. It’s a service that allows users to share photos, videos, and other messages for a few seconds before it disappears. This is a fun feature that appeals to teens and young adults. The only problem is that the messages don’t “disappear forever” as advertised. The major complaint against Snapchat is that the snaps can indeed be saved in numerous ways.
According to the commission a user can save a message by using a third-party app, and because of this it leaves the app and its users vulnerable in their privacy. Third party apps allow users to take a screenshot of any messages without the app alerting the user. Another complaint is that Snapchat, “transmitted users’ location information and collected sensitive data like address book contacts, despite its saying that it did not collect such information.”
Due to these allegations the commission said that this allowed researchers to gather a total of 4.6 million user names and phones numbers during the breach.
The chairwoman for the F.T.C., Edith Ramirez, said in a statement:
“If a company markets privacy and security as key selling points in pitching its service to consumers, it is critical that it keep those promises. Any company that makes misrepresentations to consumers about its privacy and security practices risks F.T.C. action.”
Snapchat has since agreed to start a “wide-ranging privacy program” that will be monitored for 20 years. The company is also prohibited from misrepresenting itself again in how it maintains privacy.
In a statement Snapchat said:
As a result users are already complaining about the “new” Snapchat:
The more I use the new snapchat the more i grow to hate it
— Morgan Petter (@mpetter24) May 8, 2014
I DONT LIKE THIS NEW SNAPCHAT — Kim Gilliland (@kimgilliland_) May 8, 2014
I’m not liking this new snapchat update. I’ve snapped like 54 wrong people in the past 5 minutes. Help me.
— (@_davidoleary) May 8, 2014
The new snapchat update makes me not want to snapchat anymore — (@ughmaryam) May 8, 2014
Hopefully new improvements will be made so it’s more user friendly.


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The seven people in France part of a Listeria outbreak linked to organic dairy products fell ill over a period of 18 months, according to public health authorities.
Those infected with the same strain of Listeria were identified by the National Reference Center for Listeria, with an eighth case still under investigation.
Santé Publique France reported two people have died but the agency does not have any evidence to attribute the deaths to Listeria infection.
Details on patients
People fell ill between February 2018 and August 2019 and are aged between 36 to 93 years old. Five are women. Four live in Alsace while Burgundy, Ile-de-France, and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur all have one case.
Investigations by Santé Publique France found these people had consumed organic dairy products in the weeks before contracting listeriosis. Analysis of food samples from a company, based in Bas-Rhin, Alsace confirmed contamination with Listeria. Raw milk cheeses are the suspected source of the contamination.
Testing by the National Reference Center for Listeria confirmed strains found in products had the same genetic characteristics as those isolated in the patients. Consumption of Ferme Durr products was also confirmed by several patients.
Ferme Durr recalled all dates of Durr brand organic dairy items including natural yogurt and yogurt with fruit, cream, cottage cheese, and cheese. Products were sold directly at the firm, in markets and stores throughout France. Products were also distributed in Belgium, Germany, and Luxembourg.
The action was extended a few days later to include puddings and food such as cheese and cold meats resold but not produced at the site.
All production by the company has been stopped until further notice, according to French authorities after an investigation revealed: “serious shortcomings” and results of official controls found “widespread contamination” of the facility and food products.
It can take up to 70 days after exposure to Listeria for symptoms of listeriosis to develop. Symptoms of the infection can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache, and neck stiffness.
Pregnant women, the elderly, young children, and people who have weakened immune systems are more at risk of serious illnesses, life-threatening infections, and other complications.
Certified Reference Material available
Meanwhile, the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission has released a Certified Reference Material (CRM) to be used as quality assurance for analysis of Listeria monocytogenes in food control laboratories.
The aim is to support EU member states when monitoring listeriosis and ensure collection of comparable data on the disease.
Evaluating the subtype of Listeria monocytogenes is essential in epidemiological investigations or source tracking contamination from food factories. One of the methods used by labs for subtyping is Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE). The material was certified using an interlaboratory comparison study, in which all participants used PFGE.
In the EU, 2,480 cases were reported in 2017, with a mortality rate of 14 percent. The disease is often severe with high hospitalization and mortality rates. Consumption of ready-to-eat foods such as smoked fish, deli meats and soft cheeses are the main routes of transmission.
(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)


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- Real Estate
- Food & Drink
Aug. 7, 2019
A bankruptcy filing earlier this week by the corporate owner of Perkins Restaurant & Bakery should not have any effect on the three restaurants in Sioux Falls, which are owned by franchisees.
“Perkins has been around a long time, and I think it will continue to be,” said Jim Rahfaldt, who owns the east-side restaurant near Arrowhead and Veterans parkways.
His company, CyHawk Hospitality Inc., is opening its 18th Perkins Restaurant later this month in Lincoln, Neb.
On Monday, Tennessee-based Perkins and Marie Callender’s LLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the District of Delaware and is seeking the court’s approval to sell its Perkins business and a segment of its Foxtail bakery business to Perkins Group LLC. As part of the restructuring process, the company closed 10 Perkins and 19 Marie Callender’s locations that it owned, according to a news release. Of the 342 remaining Perkins restaurants, the company owns 101 and franchisees own 241.
The company is talking with investors and potential buyers who are interested in the Marie Callender’s restaurants, according to the news release. There are 28 of those restaurants of which seven are corporate-owned.
In Sioux Falls, the other two Perkins locations, both of which are on West 41st Street, are each owned by different franchisees.
Rahfaldt said he’s pleased with sales at the east-side Perkins, which opened eight months ago.
“That’s doing well for us. It’s done extremely well. We are lucky.”
“Perkins has been around a long time, and I think it will continue to be.” That’s the reaction to the corporate bankruptcy filing by one of the local franchisees.


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The future of Sequent Computer Systems' prized NUMAtechnology--secured in IBM's $810 million acquisition of the company two months ago--is getting clearer. The highly scalable, symmetric multiprocessing technology will become a linchpin in IBM's data warehousing strategy. Already, NUMA-Q servers are being subtly positioned as alternatives to IBM's existing business-intelligence workhorse, the RS/6000.
IBM this week will open a data center of NUMA-Q systems that will be devoted to helping companies test and deploy business-intelligence applications. By February, the NUMA-Q line will be able to run IBM's flagship database, Universal DB2; the systems already support Oracle and Informix databases.
NUMA, or Non-Uniform Memory Access, is a hardware-software combination that works with Intel or RISC processors and overcomes some of the limitations of other symmetric multiprocessor platforms. NUMA-Q servers running Sequent's Dynix Unix, and eventually the forthcoming Monterey Unix operating system, on Intel Xeon processors could emerge as IBM's preferred platform for business-intelligence applications. "NUMA-Q fits nicely for the high-end sweet spot, starting at 500 Gbytes of data," says Dan Graham, global solutions executive with IBM Global Business Intelligence Solutions.
IBM eventually plans to incorporate NUMA's memory-sharing capabilities into its Windows NT Netfinity servers, PowerPC RS/6000 line, and even the AS/400. But that won't happen until 2001 at the earliest. In the meantime, IBM customers will have to choose between the RS/6000 and NUMA-Q--not to mention IBM's other server options--for data warehousing projects. And IBM says it won't push NUMA-Q for data warehousing until Windows 2000 is proven to be more scalable than Windows NT.
Analysts say adding NUMA to IBM's RS/6000 SMP systems will be an important advance. It's "the last best hope for the RS/6000," says Wayne Kernochan, Aberdeen Group senior VP. He maintains that IBM has lost data warehouse business to HP and Sun because of the gap between its RS/6000 SMP hardware and its massively parallel RS/6000 SP system.


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The ongoing World Cup boosts tourism in Sanya, a resort city in South China's Hainan province. Sanya's tourism enterprises take this opportunity to launch various promotional events and inject vitality into the local cultural and tourism industries.
An outdoor camping and football event was held at the peak of Luhuitou Park from Nov 25 to 27 by Sanya tourism promotion board. Both locals and tourists alike could enjoy the 2022 World Cup live-stream events, football games, band performances, painting and food fairs.
The Sanya Tourism and Culture Group hosted the 2022 Sanya Beach Carnival at the Tianya Aquatic Sports Club in Tianya Haijiao Scenic Area. The group also launched the three-month-long Tianya Pier Sunset Fair, which not only brings a rich sports and tourism experience to tourists, but also allows the Tianya Aquatic Sports Club to use its venue at night and produce more income.
In addition to camping, watching matches at hotel venues has become popular. Sanya Haitang Bay Wanda Reign Resort Hotel launched many activities, such as a themed room for watching the World Cup, and a World Cup quiz. Mangrove Tree Resort World Sanya Bay and Atlantis Sanya have also launched some World Cup promotional products and themed activities.
Homestays in Sanya are growing in popularity as well. Sanya has become the most expensive city when it comes to homestays in China, with the average price per room per night exceeding 300 yuan ($42), according to the data on the Tongcheng tourist website. In addition, according to Ctrip data, bookings for video and audio rooms in Sanya increased by 95 percent during the World Cup.
The owner of a homestay in Maling Community surnamed Han said that thanks to the popularity of Tianya Aquatic Sports Club, his homestay has been fully occupied in recent days. In his view, the World Cup is helping the depressed tourism industry recover.
Copyright©2023 China Daily. All rights reserved.


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Today’s cars use computers (and the requisite microprocessor chips) for everything from engine controls to stability and antilock braking systems to in-car infotainment centers. Earlier this year, Ford and GM curtailed production because of the shortage, and it appears Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is the next to succumb. JLR is halting production at two of its U.K. factories. The problem is so acute that industry-analysis firm IHS Markit predicted that nearly 700,000 vehicles were not built in the first quarter of 2021 due to semiconductor shortages.
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- New York to Build Hydropower Plant
- Lafarge and Wartsila to Add Power to Nigeria’s Grid
- JFE Steel Exits Vietnam Steel Plant Deal
- Mitsubishi to Expand Carmaking in Indonesia
- Lunda Construction Wins Trio of Highway Projects
- Siemens Supplies Compressor Trains for Mongolian LNG Project
- India and Jordan Eye Shale Gas Opportunities
- RAS Infraport Handles First Steel Slabs
- Sembcorp to Build New Power Plant for Chinese Mine
- Elecnor Lands Australian Solar Plant
- US Approves LNG Exports for Cameron
- Crossrail Starts Last East London Tunnel
- POSCO to Build Power Plant in Nigeria
- Bati and CSS Move Transformer
- CH2M Hill Restructures
Bechtel Unveils Offshore Hub Port Design for Africa
Bechtel, the global engineering, construction, and project management company, has created a revolutionary design for ports that could transform shipping in Africa.
The Multi-User Offshore Hub is designed for two or more users and consists of an offshore, smart terminal arrangement and docking system that can accommodate ocean-going vessels and barges. The Multi-User Offshore Hub has the potential to open new market opportunities for African ports by significantly increasing capacity and substantially reducing port construction and operation costs.
“As existing African ports become more and more congested, increased capacity is an urgent need for both the import of consumer goods and the export of minerals. Each requires out-of-the-box solutions to handle as many containers as efficiently as possible and to speed the provision of new mineral export facilities to enable the region to develop its economy,” said Marco Pluijm, Bechtel’s senior ports specialist, who unveiled the Multi-User Offshore Hub concept today at the African Ports Evolution 2013 Forum in Cape Town.
“This solution could provide a reduction of up to 40 percent in port infrastructure construction costs compared with building a traditional port and up to 50 percent in operational cost savings as the hub can handle much larger Capesize and Valemax vessels, which result in economies of scale,” Pluijm said.
The Multi-User Offshore Hub concept combines a country’s existing transport modes, such as rail and river barges, to provide the most efficient and sustainable logistics possible. Bechtel is currently identifying suitable sites for a Multi-User Offshore Hub in countries in both East and West Africa.
The Multi-User Offshore Hub concept builds on Bechtel’s ongoing commitment to improve shipping capabilities in Africa. The company is also leading a three-year joint-industry research project to improve the safety of mooring large cargo ships off the coast of West Africa. Both initiatives are instrumental in upgrading and expanding port infrastructure needs in Africa. The two initiatives are part of Bechtel’s longstanding work in Africa, which spans more than 70 years.


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Cadillac has officially announced the Cadillac CT6 release date. In just four short months, you could be taking home this absolutely beautiful flagship sedan.
Production for the Cadillac CT6 will begin in Detroit in January and the first shipments to dealerships will start in March. The CT6 will be unlike any other luxury sedan you’ve driven before. Cadillac used new vehicle manufacturing processes to achieve dynamic performance, efficiency, and agility never seen in a large luxury car before. Pricing for the CT6 will begin at $53,495 and extend to $83,465 for the Platinum model.
“The CT6 is an entirely new approach to prestige luxury, adding driving dynamics and technology while reducing the bulk of traditional large sedans,” said Johan de Nysschen, president of Cadillac, in a statement. “With the CT6, Cadillac has a competitive edge: our use of advanced lightweight construction and innovative technology, it is prestige luxury reimagined.”
Customers will be able to choose from three engine options, including a 2.0-liter turbo, 3.6-liter V6 with AWD, and a 3.0-liter turbo V6 with AWD.
If you’re ready to enter a new level of driving prestige, you can place your order for the 2016 Cadillac CT6 at Plaza Cadillac.


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According to a top economist at Danske Bank, Beyoncé’s concert in Sweden’s capital Stockholm in May is partially responsible for a bump in inflation.
Statistics Sweden has found that from April to May, the country’s inflation increased by 0.3 percent.
Michael Grahn, Danske Bank’s chief economist, has stated that the hike was in part due to an increase in “a broad set of goods and services, for instance, hotel and restaurant visits” and “recreational services,” which include concert tickets.
“Beyonce’s start of her world tour in Sweden seems to have colored May inflation, how much is uncertain, but probably 0.2 p.p. of the 0.3 p.p. that hotels/restaurants added,” Grahn explained.
“We expect this upside surprise to be reversed in June as prices on hotels and tickets reverse back to normal.”


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New Delhi: In a collaborative effort, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (FPI) and Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding to organise the ‘National Organic Festival of Women Entrepreneurs.’ The event will be planned and organized through NIFTEM, Haryana, which is an academic institution under the administrative control of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India. Indus Dictum reported on the developments earlier today.
The festival aims to encourage Indian women entrepreneurs and farmers to connect with buyers, and thus empower them through financial inclusion while also promoting organic food produce in India, said the Ministry of FPI in a Press release today.
On its part, the WCD Ministry led by Smriti Irani has agreed to transfer the funds for organizing the event by NIFTEM to the Vice Chancellor of the Institute, who has agreed to organize the annual festival. The agreement calls upon the Vice Chancellor to provide a Utilisation Certificate at the end of the financial year against the funds released by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
During the occasion, the FPI Minister Harsimrat Badal said the Mela will promote both organic produce and women entrepreneurs. She quipped that this was a classic case of two women (the Ministers) coming together to uplift other women, women who have traditionally been practicing food processing at household levels.
Speaking about the Festival, Badal said that it will feature organic produce, processed foods, fabrics, cosmetics, pesticides and fungicides among other products.
Badal added that the festival will strive to provide linkages to women producers to the market and supply chain, thereby facilitating their financial inclusion.
The FPI Minister expressed hope that this MoU will start a new kind of agenda in India which is to promote healthy eating and organic eating.
WCD Minister Smriti Irani thanked Badal, and said that under the current Government effort has always been to ensure that Ministries converge their strengths to serve the people better.
Irani added that this MoU is an effort to support women who are in the business of organic farming and that this step will benefit millions of women across the country.
The agreement was signed by Pushpa Subramanyam, Secretary, on behalf of Ministry of Food Processing Industries, and Rabindra Panwar, Secretary, on behalf of Ministry of Women and Child Development. The event took place in the presence of Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Smriti Irani, and senior officials of the two Ministries.
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Comments made in January by Cher Wang, HTC’s CEO and co-founder, led many to believe that HTC was going to spin off the VR business into a separate entity. At the time, speculation called for Wang and HTC to jointly own 100% of the business that includes the manufacturer’s new Vive VR headset. But almost immediately, the rumor was denied by the company. In its statement made last January, HTC said that it “will continue to develop our VR business to further maximize value for shareholders.”
It appears that HTC is changing its thinking about a spinoff. A report published today says that HTC’s president of global sales, Chia-lin Chang, told those attending the company’s annual stockholders’ meeting that the manufacturer could benefit from a spin off of the VR business. Such a financial maneuver would help HTC solicit funds from equity investment firms, and sign deals with strategic partners. Both would help the company become competitive in VR.
Its partnership with Valve is a good example of the type of deal that can help HTC, according to CEO Wang. With 130 million users of its VR games, partners like Valve can help HTC hit its long term profit targets. Wang also says that the company should get its share of profits as developers write VR apps for the education, healthcare, shopping and entertainment industries.
While HTC thinks about spinning off its VR business, the details of how such a transaction might work were not unveiled during the stockholders’ meeting. Investors holding HTC have seen the price of their shares drop from $31 USD on July 1st 2011, to its current value of $3.31 USD. Still, rumors about a spin off has the stock up 9% Tuesday morning in Taiwan.


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According to the Android blog, Google"s app store has surpassed the 25 billion downloads mark. Also, Google has announced that its digital storefront, Google Play, has passed 25 billion downloads with over 675,000 available apps and games.
Google Play is a little behind Apple"s App Store, which hit 25 billion downloads back in March. To commemorate the occasion, the company will be offering deals on apps, music, movies, and books over the next five days, including $0.25 games from Electronic Arts, Rovio, Gameloft, and others.
“Twenty-five billion is more than twice the distance, in miles, that the Voyager 1 spacecraft has travelled since its launch 35 years ago. It"s the amount of time, in minutes, that have passed since some of our earliest ancestors began to set foot in Europe. And now, thanks to all of you, it"s a Google Play milestone. We look forward to the next 25 billion," said Google Director of Digital Content Jamie Rosenberg.
Android chief Andy Rubin tweeted earlier this month that Google was seeing 1.3 million Android device activations per day (up 400,000 from Rubin"s last congratulatory tweet back in June).


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Shawnee city council to discuss temporary lift of excise tax
7:54 AM, Feb 7, 2013
SHAWNEE, Kan. - The Kansas Legislature recently passed a law that prevents any local government from imposing a new excise tax. At least one Shawnee City official says Shawnee needs to be open for business.
"I don't think we were as aggressive that we could have been on development, or I think the perception is that Shawnee wasn't concerned with commercial development or development, and we are," said council member Jeff Vaught.
The excise tax charges developers per square foot on property that they would like to develop in Shawnee. Vaught said suspending the tax will spur economic development.
"If it's a commercial development, when it's done, you're going to have jobs. If it's an industrial development, you're going to have warehouse jobs distribution or whatever it is, and if it's retail, you're going to have an additional sales tax dollars on it that you're going to bring to the city," Vaught said.


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Apple reportedly has plans to enable zero-interest installment plans for iPad, Mac
Apple is reportedly set to allow Apple Card users to purchase some of the company's most popular products via zero-interest, monthly installment plans.
The Cupertino, California, tech giant will launch the service in the coming weeks, according to Bloomberg, which cited people familiar with the rollout. The move will allow customers to buy iPads, Macs and AirPods via Apple's branded credit card, and they'll have months to pay off the merchandise.
The Wallet app on iPhones will be ground zero for managing the monthly payments, according to Bloomberg. Apple doesn't comment on product release rumors ahead of launch dates.
In 2019, the smartphone maker kicked off a similar program for iPhones, enabling customers to make payments for 24 months at no interest.
The bolstered program would allow users to pay for additional products like laptops, keyboards and monitors over 12 months, Bloomberg reports. Customers would have 6 months to pay off products like AirPods and HomePods, the report said.
Apple launched its credit card, a Mastercard, in 2019 through a partnership with issuer Goldman Sachs. The credit card offers unlimited cash back on purchases. Users get 3% cash back on items they buy from the company at the Apple Store as well as in the App Store, iTunes and on the company's website.
(c)2020 U.S. Today
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


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Football kit news from Sky Bet League Two as the new Errea 2019-20 Grimsby Town [...]
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News from the Sky Bet Championship as the new Leeds United Centenary Collection has been [...]
Football kit news from Sky Bet League One as the new Puma 2019-20 Rotherham United [...]
We a have already seen a number of leaked images of the Gunners new kits [...]
International football kit news this morning as a special limited edition Poland 100th Anniversary shirt [...]
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Despite soaring inflation, British consumer confidence has improved
Despite soaring inflation, consumer confidence in the UK improved in November, easing some economists’ concerns about a recovery in spending in November Black Friday and Christmas Eve.
According to data from the research company GfK, the UK Consumer Confidence Index is a closely watched measure of how people view their personal finances and broader economic outlook. It rose 3 points to minus 14 in November.
The reading is the average net balance between optimistic and pessimistic people in the five aspects of the economy.
It is based on data collected between November 1st and 12th, which is stronger than the forecast by economists surveyed by Reuters to drop slightly to minus 18. It raises consumer expectations for the American retail discount tradition on Black Friday, November 26 this year, and Christmas.
Joe Staton, director of customer strategy at GfK, said that a 7-point increase in the sub-index, which tracks whether people think this is the right time for bulk purchases, is particularly promising. He pointed out that this may be a sign that “after the cancellation of family gatherings last year, shoppers are ready to rebound and will usher in Christmas splurge in the coming weeks.”
Although the inflation rate has risen sharply in the past few months, the situation has improved.
Official data released on Wednesday showed that soaring energy prices boosted consumption The inflation rate in October reached the highest level in a decade, Increase the cost of living of the family and hit their spending power. Rising prices also increase the likelihood that the Bank of England will raise interest rates at its December meeting.
Yael Selfin, chief economist at consulting firm KPMG UK, said: “We do believe that with rising inflation, heavier tax burdens and rising interest rates, consumer spending may slow down in the next few months. This is one of the downside risks.”
However, people’s views on the overall economic situation have improved significantly, and people’s views on their personal financial situation in the coming year will also rise slightly.Reflect the active job market The vacancy rate hit a record high.
Other non-standard expenditure measures also show flexibility.
According to data from Fable Data, a company that tracks bank transactions, in the week ending November 14, UK bank transactions rose 12% from the same week in 2019, the highest level this year.
Avinash Srinivasan, an analyst at Fable Data, pointed out that clothing stores “increased spending before the holidays,” and spending in department stores, health and beauty stores improved. During the same period, the Bank of England’s credit and debit card purchase trackers increased by 4%.
According to data released by the office on Thursday, the number of diners seated in the second week of November was also much higher than the level of 2019, while the transaction volume of the sandwich chain Pret A Manger continued to increase-reflecting more people returning to the office Statistics for the country.
Consumer perceptions and the likelihood of consumption are important because household consumption has been the driving force behind the British economy’s rebound from the pandemic. In the third quarter, it contributed 1.2 percentage points to 1.3% economic growth.


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We have to think in circles if we want to save the planet
The ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 promises to cut carbon emissions and nudge Scotland towards its goal of net zero by 2045. But it will not be as easy as a simple shift to electric vehicles (EVs): these have their own issues, including the precious metals required for the electrical components, especially the batteries.
This means it will be critical to increase circularity in the supply and disposal chain. It will be a change in behaviour that will help us to live more sustainably, offset climate change and boost the economy.
Our demand for batteries of all types has grown hugely in the past 20 years, especially with the use of smartphones, laptops and other electronic devices. Now


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Luxul, a leading innovator of IP networking solutions for CEDIA professionals, has announced the availability of a new family of scalable wireless routers.
Designed specifically to help professional installers satisfy the ever-increasing demand for better networks, the new routers (XWR-3100 and XWR-1200) incorporate Luxul’s exclusive Roam Assist technology previously found only in the XWC-1000 Wireless Controller.
“The new XWR-3100 and XWR-1200 are much more than routers. They are also wireless controllers,” said Jeffrey Curtis, General Manager and Vice President of Luxul. “For installations where a single wireless router is just not enough to deliver complete Wi-Fi coverage, these routers offer a simple, reliable and cost-effective way to scale the network with up to 2 additional access points.”
Both new routers offer everything you would expect in a full-featured high-performance router including guest networking and VPN remote access.
The flagship XWR-3100 offers leading-edge 802.11ac Dual-Band 4×4 MUMIMO (Wave2) technology, with data rates up to 3100Mbps; while the XWR-1200 delivers data rates up to 1200Mbps.
Both products will be on authorized Luxul distributor shelves in October.
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Aishwarya Rai Bachchan said at a recent event that though she is a brand ambassador of a prestigious cosmetic brand, she definitely will not encourage her two-year-old daughter to take up a fancy to makeup.
Story first published: Thursday, January 2, 2014, 18:10 [IST]


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Build-Up of Demand Gives Boost to Industrial Activity
By DAVID GREENBERG
Demand that has been building in the Inland Empire for industrial space boosted second-quarter sales and leasing activity to the highest level since Sept. 11.
The vacancy rate fell slightly to 7.6 percent from 7.7 percent in the first quarter as brokers closed deals for 11.1 million square feet of space, up from 6.1 million square feet, according to Grubb & Ellis Co. In the third quarter of 2001, 12.8 million square feet of space was sold or leased.
“It was pent-up demand for decisions that were postponed at the end of last year,” said Roger Rhoades, a Grubb & Ellis senior vice president for the industrial sector. “We had some surprisingly good successes in the past month. But I have to caution you that it’s not safe to say we’ll continue to have the same rates in the next three months as we did in May and June.”
He said that jitters in the corporate world and on Wall Street are causing some companies to rethink expansion plans.
Compared to the large amount of speculative development coming on line before Sept. 11, there was an increase in build-to-suit projects over the past three months.
Of the speculative developments currently being done, most are in the 200,000 to 400,000-square-foot range with the so-called “big box” developments of 800,000 to 1 million square feet more of a rarity than in the past several years when such projects were common in the area.
And developers are watching each other more closely in an effort to time their developments, one after another, so that new construction does not come on line until the previously completed projects by competitors are leased out.
“Developers are very smart to watch the market and watch the economy,” said Brett Tremaine, a senior vice president in the industrial sector for Lee & Associates Inc. “They make very statistically correct decisions so not all five of them build a building at the same time.”
Since the mid-1990s, the Inland Empire has maintained its status as a warehouse and distribution hub by offering the lowest rates in the region. That continued in the second quarter.
Last quarter, tenants paid only 29 cents to 32 cents per square foot, a slight drop from the 31 cents to 33 cents during the previous period.
In an economy still struggling to improve, Inland Empire rates were attractive to many budget-conscious tenants who shied away from rates of 43 cents per square foot in downtown L.A. and the South Bay not to mention 50 to 60 cents in Orange County.
“In the Inland Empire, we are the catcher’s mitt of large distribution requirements because of our low rental rates,” said Rhoades.
Buyers paid $3.50 to $4.30 per square foot also a far cry from the $8.50 to $14 in downtown L.A. and the South Bay and $12 to $18 in Orange County.
Unilever, one of the largest makers of packaged consumer goods, participated in the area’s largest transaction when it signed a 10-year agreement in June for close to the $42.2 million asking price on 1.1 million square feet of yet-to-be-completed space in Rialto.
All other long-term deals were for less than 500,000 square feet, including Magnussen Presidential Furniture’s $20 million lease of 400,580 square feet of space over 13 years in the Sycamore Canyon Business Park at 2335 Cottonwood Ave. in Riverside. ConAgra Foods Inc. signed a $14.2 million, 10-year deal for 423,260 square feet of space in the Pier 1 Imports Distribution Center at 9160 Buffalo Ave. in Rancho Cucamonga.
“If you’ve completed your business plan for the year and you’re rolling into the new year, it typically takes at least three to four months to have a new deal finalized, which would be reflected in the second quarter,” said Mary Sullivan, a Grubb & Ellis client service manager.
Vacancy rates in the less prominent office market dropped to 13.1 percent in the second quarter from 13.8 percent in the previous quarter, based on an increase in net absorption to 228,021 square feet from 131,702 square feet during the same period.
– Unilever signed a 10-year agreement for close to the $42.2 million asking price on 1.1 million square feet of yet-to-be-completed built-to-suit space on Rialto Ave. in Rialto.
– Maytag Corp. signed a $7.2 million five-year lease for 455,455 square feet in the Mira Loma Space Center at 11015 Hopkins St. in Mira Loma.
– USF Logistics Inc. signed a 3-year agreement for 432,308 square feet of space for close to the $4.8 million asking price in the Baxter Building at 5431 East Philadelphia St. in Ontario.


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Hyosung and model Vivian recently starred on Video Star and revealed a secret about their voluminous figure.
Vivian was first asked about how she had such a full bust while trying to diet as a model.
She explained that she drank soy milk every day, and that it may have contributed to a fuller bust.
Upon hearing this, Hyosung nodded in agreement and revealed that she drank soy milk everyday too!
The other cast members believed that Hyosung’s agreement confirmed soy milk’s contribution to a fuller bust.
Although it’s not scientifically confirmed, it doesn’t hurt to drink a little soy milk every day to see for potential benefits!


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A businesswoman is feeling extra goody goody after scooping a top award.
Melissa Burton, founder of Heysham-based confectionary company Goody Good Stuff, made her way to a glittering ceremony in London last night to receive the Small Business of the Year award from Apprentice star Karren Brady.
Melissa, whose company is based in Penrod Way, launched the sweet company which specialises in vegetarian, fat-free, meat-free, dairy-free, nut-free, Halal and Kosher certified, in 2010.
She said; “My mum and other family members who are teachers mentioned that there was always a problem when they wanted to take treats in for their pupils because maybe some were Jewish and needed kosher food or maybe some were vegetarian so I looked into creating a range that everybody could enjoy. We came up with the idea in April 2010 and we launched in September of the same year. When you’re a young start-up with only one decision maker you can get things done a lot faster so that’s certainly an advantage of being a small business.
“You need to start making some money!”
The New York native moved to Lancashire in 2003 where she attended Lancaster University.
Her company beat off hundreds of other small businesses to win the title and prize of £2,000 and 50,000 Nectar points in the Nectar Small Business Awards 2013.
Melissa said; “I’m honoured and delighted to have won the award.
“It’s so flattering to be included along some of the nominees.
“Being an entrepreneur can sometimes be lonely so it will be really exciting for us all to get together and celebrate our achievements.”
Melissa’s sweet treats are now distributed from 20,000 outlets across 28 countries and have recently launched in Tesco.
She says Halloween and Christmas lines are on their way.


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Citibank expects single-digit growth in the Hong Kong credit card market for the second half of the year.
Citibank said total credit card sales in the city were flat year-over-year in the first four months of the year, with double-digit increases in online and offline spending. overseas, but a drop in dining and entertainment spending due to Covid, said Lawrence Li, head of cards and unsecured loans at Citibank Hong Kong.
But Li expects credit card sales to pick up to post single-digit second-half growth on the back of the easing of Covid and the positive effect of the latest cycle of the consumer voucher program.
This came as Citibank’s loyalty program HKT (6823), The Club and Mastercard yesterday announced the official launch of the Citi The Club credit card, which offers spending rebates of up to 4%.
The new card was soft-launched in April, with 60% of applicants aged 30-45.
In other news, Standard Chartered (2888) chief executive Bill Winters said he was “skeptical” of any attempt to break up rival lender HSBC (0005) which is under pressure from its biggest shareholder to consider divesting from its Asian operations. “You end up taking something that’s working reasonably well and breaking it into pieces,” he said in an interview with Bloomberg TV. “Certainly for Standard Chartered Bank the cost would be far greater than the benefit. But frankly, no one is suggesting that in our case.”


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Streeport: In a recent announcement, tech giant Apple revealed that its long-standing cloud-based photo syncing feature, My Photo Stream, is set to retire on July 26, 2023. The decision comes after the feature was effectively superseded by iCloud Photo Library, leaving many users to anticipate its eventual departure.
Let’s take a closer look at the journey of the service, its limitations, and the impact it had on Apple’s ecosystem.
Launched in 2011 alongside iCloud, My Photo Stream aimed to simplify the process of storing and accessing photos across various Apple devices. This free service allowed users to temporarily store their images in one location and conveniently sync them across their iPhones, iPads, iPod touches, Macs, Apple TVs, and even Windows PCs. It provided a seamless experience for users who wanted to have their photos readily available on the go.
However, it came with a set of restrictions that became apparent over time. Users were faced with limitations on the number of photos they could upload, and the stored images were only retained on Apple’s servers for a maximum of 30 days. To preserve images on secondary devices, users had to manually save them locally, which proved to be a cumbersome process. Additionally, it supported only specific image formats like JPEG, PNG, TIFF, and RAW, saving them at lower resolutions to conserve device storage.
The advent of iCloud Photos, Apple’s comprehensive photo management solution, gradually overshadowed it. Unlike its predecessor, iCloud Photos provided permanent cloud storage for users’ images, eliminating the need for temporary syncing and manual saving. With iCloud Photos, users could seamlessly store and access their photos across all their Apple devices, ensuring a consistent experience.
As Apple focuses on advancing iCloud Photos and its other innovative solutions, the retirement of this software was an expected move. While the feature played a crucial role in enabling photo synchronization, its limitations and the emergence of more comprehensive alternatives made it less essential over time. Apple users now have the opportunity to fully embrace the capabilities of iCloud Photos, which offers a seamless and permanent solution for managing their photo libraries.
As July 26, 2023, approaches, Apple users who have relied on Stream will need to explore alternative options for syncing their photos across devices. It’s an opportunity to transition to iCloud Photos, which provides a more robust and feature-rich experience. By bidding farewell to Stream, users can look forward to embracing the advancements in photo management services that Apple has in store for them.
As Apple prepares to retire photo stream, it marks the end of an era for a feature that once revolutionized the way users accessed their photos. While it may no longer be at the forefront, its legacy will be remembered as an important stepping stone in Apple’s journey to provide seamless photo management across its ecosystem.
How do I Access My Photo Stream?
It can be accessed by going to your devices Photo Library. Select “”Albums”” and then navigate to “”My Photo Stream.””
Is My Photo Stream Discontinued?
Apple fans will have used it for many years – but the company has announced it is going to disappear. Instead, Apple wants customers to use iCloud Photos, which is available on iPhones and iPads running iOS 8.3 or later and Macs running OS X Yosemite or later.
What is My Photo Stream or iCloud Photo Library?
It is a free service that uploads the last 30 days of images (up to 1,000) to iCloud, making them accessible on the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, and PC. It predates iCloud Photos and has largely been replaced by the iCloud Photos service at this point.


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Today’s authors take a multi-faceted approach to characterising a benchmark subgiant star using asteroseismology, interferometry, and spectroscopy.
Neighboring exoplanets appear to come in similar sizes. But is this a result of observational bias?
Today’s authors use a new technique to make new discoveries about the Seven Sisters.
The era of petabyte and exabyte astronomical surveys is rapidly approaching. How will we store all this data and ensure its longevity for future decades of astronomers? Check out Dr. Alex Szalay’s plenary talk at #AAS233 to find out!
An novel method that could add texture to other worlds.
Using new Gaia data, the authors update the stellar radii for the majority of Kepler’s stars. While they find that most stars have similar radii to previous reported values, there are some large discrepancies.


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The construction of new businesses was a key topic of discussion during the Sept. 1 Murphy City Council meeting.
The council approved the site plan, landscape plan, building elevations and a construction plat for a Denny’s restaurant and a retail space under property owner McBirney 544 Joint Venture.
“I think it is a great thing. I have received a couple of emails with concerns about fast food restaurants, but I don’t consider Denny’s a fast food restaurant,” Deputy Mayor pro tem Owais Siddiqui said. “To me this a family restaurant and is kind of fast casual. I think it is a win for the city.”
By David Jenkins • Staff Writer • [email protected]
For the complete story see the Sept. 10 edition of Murphy Monitor.


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- This event has passed.
MT Food Band Network’s The Taste
March 5 @ 6:30pm
Montana Food Bank Network’s The Taste is Virtual for 2021
The Taste is an evening dedicated to bringing people together to celebrate local food, drink, and relationships while helping Montana Food Bank Network (MFBN) raise $70,000 for Montana’s families. Brought to you by First Security Bank, Albertsons, BlueCross BlueShield of Montana, and KPAX, his year’s Taste event will be virtual on March 5 at 6:30 pm. The virtual event will feature a cooking competition between three Missoula chefs, as well as information and stories about Montana Food Bank Network. Tickets and information about the chefs can be found on MFBN’s Website at mfbn.org/events/the-taste.
To help support locally owned businesses, the Taste now includes a Passport event from February 22 until March 4. Each Taste Passport includes eight businesses in the Missoula area offering special menu items with proceeds benefiting MFBN. Taste Passport holders who visit four of the eight businesses listed at mfbn.org/events/the-taste will be entered to win a grand prize. Taste Passports are $10 and can be purchased at bit.ly/thetaste2021.
The Taste also has an exciting silent auction and everyone-wins drawing, the Spoon Pull, with items donated by local and national businesses. The silent auction and Spoon Pull are now live at bit.ly/thetaste2021, and anyone can bid and win! All proceeds benefit MFBN, and bidding closes at 7:30 pm on Friday, March 5.
Montana Food Bank Network is Montana’s only statewide food bank and works with 346 partners across the state to distribute food to those in need. Montana Food Bank Network distributed over 19 million pounds of food in 2020. The Taste plays a vital role in supporting MFBN’s operations and programs, by raises $70,000 annually. Tune in to the Taste virtual program on Friday, March 5 at 6:30 pm on MFBN’s YouTube channel (youtube.com/MTFoodBankNetwork) or support the event by donating online to MFBN.org/donate.


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The former founder of Ripple Labs, Jed McCaleb is nearing the end of his eight-year Ripple (XRP) selling marathon; he only has 81.53 million XRP left, worth $26.55 million at the time of writing, in his wallet balance.
According to Jed Balance, a website that tracks your XRP holdings, McCaleb’s wallet, called “tacostand,” has shed an average of 4.06 million XRP over the past month, but has increased daily transfers to 7.34 million XRP, worth $2.39 million, since Sunday.
At the current rate of sales, your wallet could be empty in the next two or three weeks, much to the delight of the cryptocurrency community.
On Wednesday, Mason Versluis, a TikTok influencer and YouTuber known as Crypto Mason, shared the news to his 115,000 followers on Twitter, highlighting that 22 million XRP has been released in the last three days.
Jed McCaleb has 81,527,488 $XRP remaining!
— MASON VERSLUIS (@MasonVersluis) June 29, 2022
Jed McCaleb only has 81,527,488 XRP left! 22,007,874 XRP have been downloaded in the last 3 days.
On Wednesday, A McCaleb parody account with 4,500 followers describing itself as “Definitely not the real Jed” posted a photo outside a restaurant called “The Taco Stand,” saying, “Almost there.”
almost there pic.twitter.com/SdstUD4Kzc
— Jed McCaleb (@JedMccaleb12) June 29, 2022
The former Ripple executive has been methodically selling chunks of his XRP holding, once worth nine billion, since leaving the company in 2014.
McCaleb was part of the founding team of Ripple in 2012 (then called OpenCoin), receiving a share of 20 billion XRP, which was distributed among the three founders, among which are also Chris Larsen and Arthur Britto.
McCaleb left in 2014 after an alleged falling out with Ripple executives, taking his XRP holding, which amounted to around 9% of the total supply, with him. That same year, he co-founded rival payment protocol Stellar.
Fearing that the market would crash if McCaleb sold all his holdings at once, Ripple Labs and the former executive agreed to lock-up terms for his XRP.
The lock-in plan stated that, for the first year, he could not sell more than $10,000 worth of XRP a week. The plan would loosen over time, increasing the amount he could sell to $20,000 worth of XRP per week for the next three years.
Starting in 2018-2019, restrictions would apply to the number of XRP tokens, limiting their maximum allowed sale to 1 billion XRP per year.
As of 2020, the amount has risen to 2 billion XRP per year.
According to JedBalance, McCaleb sold a large portion of his XRP holdings between January and August 2021, a period in which XRP prices shot up to $1.84 in April, selling 2.74 billion XRP.
It took a several-month break from selling from September 2021 to early January 2022 and has since returned to selling XRP steadily.
The data shows that McCaleb has sold 627.6 million XRP so far in 2022.
XRP price rallied nearly 30% on June 24, four days after rallying from $0.28, its lowest level since January 2021. Cointelegraph analysis noted that the token rally could extend to $0.41 next.
The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cointelegraph.com. Every investment and trading move involves risk, so you should do your own research when making a decision.
Investments in crypto assets are not regulated. They may not be suitable for retail investors and the full amount invested may be lost. The services or products offered are not aimed at or accessible to investors in Spain.


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Campaigns deliver 70 to 120 times better response rates than industry average benchmarks
London/Lagos – Out There Media (OTM), a global leader in mobile advertising and data monetization, today announced that it has successfully launched its proprietary mobile advertising technology Mobucks™ with leading mobile operator, MTN Nigeria. OTM’s technology, combined with its network of brands and brand agencies, will strengthen the mobile operator’s digital advertising strategy, driving advertiser interaction and engagement with its 65 million subscribers, nearly two times the reach of Facebook in Nigeria.
Several brand partners have already launched mobile campaigns via Mobucks™ platform, including First Bank Nigeria, BETKing, CARS45, Oraimo, Smoov Chapman, Old Mutual, FordFoundation, Tangerine and Wella Health. The initial campaigns have already seen impressive results; for example, the campaign for First Bank Nigeria insurance products achieved an average Click Through Rate of (CTR) of 7%, with CTR reaching up to 12% in some instances. This is a whopping 70 to 120 times better than industry benchmarks on digital advertising. Other launch partners include some of the country’s leading media agencies, such as Media Fuse, PHD Nigeria, and Starcom Media Perspective.
“As a part of our Good Together ethos, we are always on the lookout for innovative ways for Nigerians to stay connected with the people and brands they love,” said Srinivas Rao, Chief Digital Officer (CDO) at MTN Nigeria. “We recognise how powerful reach can be—and with that reach, how important it is to have the right partner and technology that would allow us to deliver the best campaigns. When it comes to mobile advertising and data monetization, OTM’s technology and services provide the perfect solution to help us drive a digital revolution in the country.”
OTM’s Mobucks™ technology enables MTN Nigeria to bring subscribers targeted, interactive messaging, rich media experiences, and programmatic advertising campaigns from its chosen brand and agency partners. OTM’s access to MTN’s first-party deterministic telco data allows the Mobucks™ technology to combine precise targeting and personalization with reach, to enable “micro-targeting at scale” for its brand clients.
“With the pandemic and its aftermath, it has been a challenging time for brands and subscribers alike; it’s important that we take the right steps to stay connected and keep moving forward,” said Lynda Saint-Nwafor, the Chief Enterprise Business Officer (CEBO) at MTN Nigeria. “Our partnership with OTM will keep Nigerians connected and engaged with their favourite brands. We are truly excited to bring the very best of mobile advertising to both parties – our subscribers and brand partners.”
“Reach combined with targeting is always a key challenge for brands and advertisers when trying to engage their audiences,” said Donald Mokgale, CEO Sub-Saharan Africa at OTM. “That’s why mobile operators prove to be such powerful partners for us to enable our brand and agency clients as well as small businesses to use mobile advertising to boost their reach and deliver targeted campaigns to the right audiences, at the right time, via our Mobucks™ platform. The results from the initial campaigns that we have run here in Nigeria speak for themselves and prove that consumers are whole-heartedly embracing this form of targeted brand engagement. We are extremely excited to be working with MTN Nigeria as our first mobile operator partner in Nigeria and to be at the forefront of the digital revolution in the country.”
The launch in Nigeria is part of OTM’s Mobucks™ technology roll out across the African continent.
Out There Media is the international leading mobile advertising company that uniquely links mobile operators with advertisers via its proprietary, award-winning technology, Mobucks™.
The company’s platform enables operators to become a substantial player in the digital ad space and unlock significant revenue streams for them, and brands and agencies to reach their audiences, in a highly targeted manner, leading to unprecedented levels of consumer engagement.
OTM works with Fortune 500 companies such as Unilever, Pepsi, Nestle, L’Oreal, Coca Cola, P&G and mobile operators such as Vodafone, Vodacom, Telenor, Starhub, Zain or MTN Group. The Company is headquartered in Vienna, Austria with operations across the globe.
About MTN Nigeria
MTN Nigeria is one of Africa’s largest providers of communications services, connecting over 71.5 million people in communities across the country with each other and the world. Guided by a vision to lead the delivery of a bold new digital world, MTN Nigeria’s leadership position in coverage, capacity, and innovation has remained constant, since its launch in 2001. MTN Nigeria is part of the MTN Group – a leading emerging market operator, connecting more than 250 million subscribers in 21 countries in Africa and the Middle East. To learn more about MTN Nigeria and its various initiatives, visit www.mtnonline.com
For more information, please contact us
Phone: Funso Aina on +234 (0) 803 200 4168
Email: [email protected]


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The Discord app is seen on an iPhone on this photograph illustration in Warsaw, Poland, on April 3, 2021.
Jaap Arriens | NurPhoto | Getty Photographs
Discord will lay off 17% of the corporate’s workforce, which equates to 170 workers, a spokesperson confirmed Thursday.
The corporate, which supplies a preferred messaging service utilized by players, beforehand eradicated about 40 jobs in August and joins a rising listing of firms to announce cuts firstly of this yr.
Discord CEO Jason Citron stated in an inner memo that the layoffs are mandatory for Discord to turn into extra environment friendly after a hiring growth in 2020, in response to The Verge, which first reported on the newest job cuts. Discord employed 870 folks as of August, based mostly on information from PitchBook.
Discord, which ranked 18th on CNBC’s Disruptor 50 list for 2023, was valued at about $15 billion in 2021 on the peak of the tech growth. The market contracted dramatically for high-risk tech in 2022 as hovering inflation and rising rates of interest crimped progress and made capital prices costlier.
Not like social internet platforms resembling Meta and Snap, Discord would not depend on internet advertising, however is as an alternative supported by subscribers who pay a month-to-month charge for further options resembling the flexibility to stream high-definition video. In October, the corporate debuted an internet market that lets customers buy digital avatars and different digital items to customise their accounts.
Layoffs have been a giant story throughout the tech panorama because the calendar turned to 2024.
Audible, Amazon’s audiobooks unit, is cutting 5% of its employees in an effort to turn into “leaner and more efficient,” CEO Bob Carrigan wrote in a memo Thursday. Google mum or dad Alphabet laid off a whole bunch of employees on Wednesday to give attention to the corporate’s “biggest product priorities,” a spokesperson stated.
Do not miss these tales from CNBC PRO:


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Govt to boost digital connectivity to revive economy – Saifuddin
23 May 2020
Digital connectivity is a vital aspect in the daily lives of the people, more so when the country is facing the threat of COVID-19 pandemic.
Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah in a statement today said good and comprehensive digital connectivity is not only facilitating the people in their daily activities but it is critical to revive the country’s economy.
“Yesterday (May 22) , I held a meeting with representatives of various ministries, and agencies among them, Education Ministry, Higher Education Ministry, Communications and Multimedia Commission and the Malaysian Digital Economic Corporation (MDEC) on digital connectivity,” he added.
Saifuddin said the meeting was aimed at finding the best solutions so that the country’s digital infrastructure would be further enhanced in terms of coverage, quality and level of capability.
It is also to assist the people, traders and all involved to better carry out their daily lives and businesses following the preventive measures taken to combat COVID-19 outbreak, he said.
He said improvements to digital connectivity would assist the country’s economy as it involved various investments apart from providing employment to the people.
It must be stressed that in the education sector there is a need for pupils and tertiary students to continue their studies away from schools or campuses, Saifuddin added.
In this regard, he said access to quality and affordable broadband service is vital, he said.
The minister added that the digitalisation of the small and medium industry is also important considering the sector creates employment opportunities and is a major contributor to the country’s economy.
Efforts in e-commerce should also be stepped up so that the community could participate and seek new markets in the digital economy especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.
He said among the driving factors for the success of digital economy, is the protection of consumers.
As such issues raised by buyers such as billing, coverage and so on should be taken seriously, said Saifuddin.
He said the meeting also agreed that a comprehensive approach should be taken by all service providers to ensure the rights of consumers are protected.
He added that the meeting also agreed on the cooperation of various parties including the local authorities and state governments as well as other agencies to facilitate the construction of digital infrastructure.
“I welcome the calls and proposals made at the meeting and would ensure the matters would be resolved through consensus on various platforms,” he said.


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Proposition 31 Passes – Most Flavored Tobacco Products No Longer to be Sold in CA
In early 2020, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 793 into law to remove the sale of flavored tobacco products in California. The law includes provisions to remove the sale of all flavored electronic cigarettes, cigarettes (including mint and menthol flavors), and more – although it exempts a few products including hookah and premium cigars.
A referendum campaign funded by the tobacco industry (R.J. Reynolds, Philip Morris and ITG Brands) was quickly enacted, and the tobacco industry spent $21 million to gather signatures, enabling Big Tobacco to generate $1.1 billion in revenue from the sale of menthol cigarettes alone during the 22 months a successful referendum would delay the implementation of SB 793. Unfortunately, the tobacco industry was successful in gathering enough signatures. It is estimated that 17,000 lives were lost, 37,000 more high school students started using cigarettes, and the state of California incurred $800 million in healthcare costs over the 22 months of delayed implementation of SB 793.
The people of California voted on Proposition 31, with a yes vote confirming that the Bill could finally go into effect. The Proposition overwhelmingly passed, and SB 793 will go into effect the fifth day after the Secretary of State certifies the election results – this date is anticipated to be December 21, 2022.
Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease. For decades, the tobacco industry has used flavors to market their products, particularly to vulnerable populations. They use mint and menthol flavoring to mask the harshness of tobacco, particularly in cigarettes. In 2009, a federal ruling stated that flavored cigarettes were not longer allowed to be sold in the United States, but mint and menthol flavoring were exempted. This was a travesty, particularly as the exemption most impacted Black and African American communities. Of all Black and African American Adults who smoke cigarettes, 80% smoke menthol cigarettes – a result of the industry’s decades of target marketing. The tobacco industry also uses attractive fruity and candylike flavoring in products that are especially desirable to youth, and the main reason that youth begin using tobacco products. Four out of five kids who have used tobacco started with a flavored product.
The removal of the sale of flavored tobacco products will significantly impact the health and wellbeing of communities across California. It is important to note that upon the implementation of SB 793, there is no preemption. In other words, local jurisdictions who have already enacted ordinances to remove the sale of flavored tobacco products with more comprehensive inclusion of products (such as flavored hookah and shisha, pipe tobacco, and premium cigars – all of which are exempted under SB 793) may continue to uphold their ordinances – and jurisdictions interested in adopting policy more comprehensive than SB 793 may also do so.
As we celebrate the success of Proposition 31, local agencies and projects across the state still have their work cut out for them. Extensive education and assistance will be necessary to ensure effective implementation of the new law, and to support retailers across the state of California during the transition.
Recommended further reading:


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With a new government taking charge in Islamabad, chances of a thaw in Indo-Pak relations look less gloomy than they have been in recent years. One obvious place to start is to improve bilateral trade and then take things from there. Yet, despite trying, the three governments in the last 15 years – headlined by Musharraf, Zardari and Sharif in their respective terms – couldn’t quite manage to score big on this front.
Despite enjoying geographical proximity, Pakistan has been unable to grow its exports to an economy that is now eight times its own. Instead, most of Pakistan’s exports are dispatched to faraway destinations. From $84 million in FY04, Pakistan’s exports to India had reached $418 million in FY18, as per SBP data. Yet, the share of Pakistan’s exports to India has averaged a paltry 1.5 percent in Pakistan’s overall goods’ exports in the last 15 years.
In recent years, bulk of Pakistan’s exports to India has been accounted for by three items: fruits (dates, figs, pineapples, etc.), cement, and petroleum. There is a bit of gypsum, leather and cotton also thrown into the mix. Just as exports, Pakistan’s imports from India have also grown fivefold between FY04 and FY18, but have averaged 3.6 percent in Pakistan’s overall imports in the period under review. Key imported items are related to cotton, vegetables, chemicals and cyclic hydrocarbons.
Pakistan, being the smaller economy, should feel more incentivized to trade more openly with a larger economy. The country needs to substantially improve its currently-abysmal share in Indian imports. Pakistan had a 0.1 percent share in India’s imports in FY17 – an abysmal level seen throughout this decade. India’s share in Pakistani imports is also languishing low – at 0.6 percent in FY17.
That the two countries have less than one percent share in each other’s imports, explains the fact that Saarc – of which India and Pakistan are the two largest economies – remains one of the least inter-connected trading blocks in the world. The experience of the three most inter-connected regions – North America (where US is the hub), Western Europe (Germany is the hub) and Southeast Asia (China is the hub) – suggests that trading with countries in proximity can lead to regional prosperity.
It must be noted, though, that official statistics might not be capturing the true scale of Indo-Pak trade. Circuitous trade is said to be a thriving phenomenon. An Asia Foundation report in 2015 put this informal Indo-Pak trade at $5 billion. Seaports in regional countries like the UAE, Sri Lanka, Singapore and Hong Kong are said to be used as intermediary routes by Indo-Pak traders. But this phenomenon is a result of difficulties in trading – and on both sides of the border.
For instance, a 2016 report by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations noted that Indian exporters used the informal channels due to issues like Pakistan’s negative list, inadequate payment mechanisms, and forming trading relationships in Pakistan. A 2017 report by Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce noted a variety of non-tariff barriers facing Pakistani exporters in India, including strict certification requirements, higher security checks, visa curbs and inadequate banking relationships.
It is up to the two nations’ leadership to ponder how relevant and urgent is a “re-set” in trading relationship. That will require a broader political understanding. It is a complex issue, for geopolitical and domestic political issues are also involved on both sides. If it were purely an economic issue, some progress would, arguably, have been made by now. Follow this space for more on that subject later.
(This news/article originally appeared in Business Recorder on September 3rd, 2018)


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Shortly after Nike’s new ad campaign with Colin Kaepernick began airing, the College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri, decided to drop the clothing-line as its athletic apparel sponsor.
“In their new ad campaign, we believe Nike executives are promoting an attitude of division and disrespect toward America,” C of O president Jerry C. Davis said in a statement Wednesday. “If Nike is ashamed of America, we are ashamed of them. We also believe that those who know what sacrifice is all about are more likely to be wearing a military uniform than an athletic uniform.”
Nike released the full ad campaign, which also features athletes like Serena Williams and LeBron James, on Sept. 6 before the NFL season opener between the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles. The company decided to make Kaepernick the spokesman in honor of the 30th anniversary of its “Just Do It” ad campaign, according to Bleacher Report.
The NFL released a statement in response to the ad campaign created by its main clothing sponsor, saying, “The National Football League believes in dialogue, understanding and unity,” the league told Ian Rapoport, national insider for the NFL Network. “We embrace the role and responsibility of everyone involved with this game to promote meaningful, positive change in our communities.”
Last year, the college issued a new national anthem policy mandating that its athletes, players and the staff of its opponents stand and “show respect for the American flag and national anthem.”
“Nike is free to campaign as it sees fit, as the College is free, and honor-bound by its mission and goals, to ensure that it respects our country and those who truly served and sacrificed,” said Dr. Marci Linson, vice president for patriotic activities and dean of admissions at the College.
Monica Levitan can be reached at email@example.com. You can follow her on Twitter @monlevy_.


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Bringing manufacturing back to the U.S. has been a hot topic among this year’s presidential candidates. Already producing footwear stateside is Bates Footwear, a division of Wolverine Worldwide.
This week the company announced it’s been awarded a $30.5 million contract to manufacture Temperate Weather boots for the United States Marine Corps (USMC) under a new five-year U.S. government contract.
Although the boot will be a new production line for Bates this year, it is not unfamiliar to the USMC, with Bates having produced a similar Temperate Weather boot in the past. The new style features a Vibram Sierra sole to provide superior grip with increased longevity. The boots will be made in Big Rapids, Mich., and will be constructed of 100 percent American-made materials.
“We are very proud to once again provide the United States Marine Corps with a dependable, enduring Temperate Weather boot,” said Andrew Fowler, VP and GM of Bates. “Bates remains committed to upholding the values of the U.S. Dept. of Defense and Marine Corps.”
Bates Footwear has been producing tactical footwear for more than 130 years, supplying uniform footwear to all branches of the U.S. military.


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0845 680 9762
28 Sep 2020
Trade Mark Direct's founder Mark Kingsley-Williams was recently asked by Barclay's to provide start-ups with advice on IP. Here's a short video clip with some of the highlights.
For news and views on trade mark issues of the day